It Never Ends
by intro.for.amaze
Summary: Tohru randomly appears in the old house after she was kidnapped several months before. Confused and with subtle memories she reunites with the Sohma family.Although,the worst isn't over;secrets unfold and things get unreasonably complicated as usual.
1. prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fruits Basket or any of it's characters and plots, but you probably knew that already.

This is an alternate ending to Fruits Basket and the events that take place after it. So, there are some changes that I hope you as the reader will be able to follow.

**Prologue: A Little Bit of Hope**

I_ can't move ,_ Tohru thought as she helplessly laid there on the bare wooden floor trying to catch her staggered breath. She stared up at the ceiling failing at her attempt to fight back the tears that were rushing down her flushed cheeks. Goosebumps raised on her skin as the cold air brushed passed her partially bare body. Her clothes had been ripped up, she had cuts and bruises, she hadn't eaten in days. She could even feel the bruises on her once bounded wrists.

Even though there was no true hope left within her, she still tried to pretend like the sun would shine again. At this point in time that's really al she could hope to see again. Tohru had spent so much time locked up in this dark cold room, that she couldn't even imagine what the sun felt like against her skin or how the wind felt blowing through her hair. She couldn't imagine a kind smile directed towards her. Oh, how she would kill to see someone smile again. Maybe, Momji or Arisa or Yuki or Kyo. . . Kyo. A sudden blanket of trepidation came over her body and stiffened her aching muscles. She wondered how they all reacted to her sudden disappearance. If they were looking for her now? How they were doing? Were they laughing? Or smiling? Did any of them feel an ounce of happiness while she was away. She prayed that they did, that she hadn't ruined their last couple of months, and if she did then she would happily die in that spot on the floor as punishment for causing them so much trouble. What if she never met them? Then maybe there wouldn't be so much trouble. At first she thought that she was doing them some kind of service, but at this point she was beginning to believe that she was no help at all. _We're better off without you_, said the voice of a bitter memory.

Tohru's eyes grew heavy as her vision became clouded under a pool of warm tears. _I've caused nothing, but trouble, _she thought as her body began to slip into another uncomfortable slumber. Her eyes could no longer stay open, her breath was very low, and her body could no longer keep itself warm. She felt as if this was the last time her body would ever fall asleep. The final breath was finally coming in five, four, three. . . the door opens and light from the hallway comes flooding in. Tohru weakly turns her head towards the light and whimpers softly. A tall figure appears at the door, the sound of it's shoes coming closer and closer. Suddenly, Tohru could feel her body limply lift from the floor and then was accompanied by the warmth of the shadowy figure.

**R/A: **Well, that's just the beginning. So, if you liked it then please comment, I would like to know that someone is interested in hearing the rest of the story. Please and thank you.


	2. Nothing is Certain

**Message to readers: **

Sorry it took so long for me to update. I was having issues with my computer, go figure. Although I hope that I can keep it up for all of you who want to continue. Thanks for the reviews it makes me happy to see that people are interested.

**Chapter 1: Nothing is Certain**

Tohru awoke in darkness, only hearing the a quiet swish of a fast moving object and cold air rushing passed her face. She had no idea where she was and wasn't sure that she wanted to find out. Last time her eyes were open she was slowly drifting into a downward spiral into the other side. Tohru could have been anywhere now. She could have died and ended up in a new world or she could still be in that cold dark room and hadn't moved at all. Both would be a disappointment and she wasn't ready to face either of the outcomes. But she had to know, just opening her eyes could decide her fate. What if there was something on the other side waiting for her to open her eyes and let it know that she was ready to face whatever was ahead of her. Maybe death wasn't as bitter as most would expect, maybe it was just misunderstood. Being dead would be much more peaceful, compared to being in that room. Where the torture would continue.

Despite, her increasing fear she clenched her frail fingers into a tight fist and slowly opened her eyes. Although, when they were open there was still darkness. A pitch black space in front of her. She sat up quickly reaching her hands out in front of her. She tried to call for some assistance, but only a faint gasp came from passed her dry lips. Instinctively, her hand waved in front of her body hoping that it would collide with something placed around her. Her arms then swung to her side like she was spreading her arms to fly, this action was accompanied with a loud smack and a blistering pain on the back of her right hand.

Upon the feeling the collusion with the unknown object, she reached over calmly felt the hand craved side table that was placed beside the soft bed she was laying on. A sense of relief came over her as she discovered that she was no longer on that torn up wood floor begging for something to cover her body. For the first time in months she was laying on a mattress with several blankets covering her legs. Her clothes were dry, smelling of lavender laundry detergent, which she preferred over the thick scent of dried blood. Calmly she reached out in front of her again. Her fingers ran through the gentle cool air and was then accompanied by someone else's warm fingers. Tears came rolling down Tohru's face as she felt the soft skin and heard a small chuckle within the darkness. Their hands intertwined as the figure shifted by her legs. An unexpected warmth touched her face and carefully wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

" Miss Honda?" the figure answered.

" Y-Yuki?" she muttered as she lifted her body off the mattress to embrace him. She gasped loudly, feeling a sharp stab between her ribs that sent an electric pulse through her spine and spread through her nerves. She paused staring ahead with horrified expression. The still moment quickly passed as she slammed her back against the mattress and grasped her side with shaking hands, her eyes wide and breathing heavily. She tensed, folding her body over her crossed arms, trying to stop the pain.

" Please, don't move too much. You're badly injured," Yuki warned with a bit of woe in his tone. Although, Tohru could not see his face, his smile had fallen into an almost unreadable expression.

Tohru whimpered softly, when another hand gently stroked her head. This person ran their slender fingers through her hair, making it fall on her shoulders.

" Miss Honda?" a deep voice beckoned.

" Miss Honda, you need to calm down. Panicking will only make it hurt more," the voice coached as two hands grabbed Tohru's shoulders and forced her to lay her back against the mattress.

" Hatori-san?" she asked. She was hushed by the unknown figure.

" Don't stress your body too much, you haven't been awake for long," the voice warned.

" She seems to be doing better than before," Yuki said, his words directed towards Hatori.

"Maybe, but you don't want her to get too excited, she may pass out again,"

_Again?_ ,she thought, _Had I been awake before? _Tohru turned her head in the direction where the two whispering voices were generally coming from. She reached her hand out trying to grab one of them and get their attention, because at this moment her voice was having a hard time releasing itself. Although, after trying with an excessive amount of effort, her hand fell to the side of the bed in exhaustion.

"What. . .happened. . . To me?" she managed to ask taking a stressed breath between each word.

The two men stopped their side conversation, and quickly brought their attention to the distressed girl. There was a silence, a cold bitter silence that accompanied the darkness that Tohru was currently dwelling in. Yuki stared down at her with eyes filled with a helpless shine.

" We don't know," Yuki answered. " We were hoping that you could tell us."

Tohru stared up at Yuki with a hopeless expression. Even so, he could see the spacious look in her eyes. He was aware that she couldn't see him. He was nothing, but a voice in the darkness.

Tohru wrapped her cold fingers around Yuki's hand and held it tightly. Her hand shaking from the lack of strength she had.

" Why can't I see?" she asked.

"My eyes are open, but I can't see anything, but black," she explained.

Yuki pursed his lips together in dismay. He looked over at Hatori who stared at Tohru with the same look. Even someone who was as emotionless as Hatori-san, couldn't stare at Tohru without looking lost and helpless. They both bared such terrible news that could break Tohru's heart in two. Yuki swallowed hard, trying to erase the dread out of his expression, forgetting that she couldn't see him. Hatori took a deep breath and puffed out his chest like he was filling himself with courage, before speaking.

" The condition of your eyes say that you have spent a lot of time in the darkness these passed months. Now, for most people when they spend time in nothing but darkness, the brain will take away the need to see and make other senses more acute, And-"

"Why are you telling me this?" Tohru interrupted, which was highly uncharacteristic.

" You're eyes have resorted not working, and there's no promises that you'll ever see again," Hatori explained.

Tohru's eyes grew wide as more tears were now uncontrollably running down Tohru's flushed cheeks. Her hands released Yuki's and covered her mouth as she tried to stop herself from whimpering. "-But," she tried to speak as she curled into herself resting her head against her legs, despite the unexplainable pain.

She couldn't think straight, even if she could she wouldn't know what to think. All of this time she had been wishing for only a couple of things to come after she was released from confinement. All she wanted was to be able to see someone smile again, see someone's face. After spending so much time in the darkness, she was punished by spending the rest of her life in that same lightless state. She had survived that horrible experience and for what? Not to be able to see any of them, to only hear them in this dark realm that made them all feel so distant.

_Why would anyone. . . . _Yuki thought as he reached for Tohru's hands and pulled them away from her tear soaked face. He stroked them only to comfort her as she cried.

Yuki paused, sensing a presence from behind him. He glanced back only to see Kyo silently standing in the doorway looking at Yuki and Tohru with dark eyes. A glare was passed between the two of them.

" Are you just going to stand there?" Yuki growled.

Tohru suddenly stopped crying, her body shifting into a low tremble as she looked up into the empty space. Kyo's eyes met Tohru's in a blank gaze. He stared at her for what seemed like eternity. She stared at him, like she was desiring his company.

" Calm down, Tohru. You're going to make it worse," Hatori warned as he placed his hand against her back. His eyes then looked at Kyo with the same amount of disappointment. "Either come in or leave," Hatori demanded.

Kyo's eyes were removed from Tohru and were brought to Hatori. He uncrossed his arms and stood without support in the doorway. His fingers curled into a fist and were held close to his side. For some reason, Kyo was preparing to fight someone. Just hearing Hatori's voice made Kyo want to lunged at him.

"Kyo. . ." Tohru whispered, her eyes still staring in his direction. Kyo looked back at her his chest rising and falling rapidly, his fist still clenched together. The only difference was his eyes had began to shine with a thin coat of tears that he was holding back so well. He turned away from them and stomped down the hallway.

After getting far enough away from the room, he stopped. His legs unable to move any further. There was no true explanation to why. Maybe it was because his instincts were telling him to turn around and make peace with his demons or that he wasn't going anywhere if he left now. He grunted in frustration and then swung his fist towards the wall that shook under the collusion. If only that made everything better. If one fist could rewind time and start it all over. But like most things Kyo did, it was completely useless. He leaned against the wall for support as the oxygen began to feel heavy in his lungs. His legs trembling, wanting to give out and let him fall to the ground. An ill feeling crawled from his toes all the way up to his head, making every organ in his body twist. He felt angry at himself, lonely, like there was no one to catch his emotions. Like he would dwell in these unfortunate feelings alone. When suddenly a hand grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, slamming his back against the wall.

" What the hell is your problem?" Yuki asked.

" Tohru has been missing for two months and all you can do is stare at her like an idiot?" he yelled as he grabbed the collar of Kyo's shirt and jabbed his elbow into his chest.

"Let go of me," Kyo demanded through his teeth.

" Why should I? So, you can go be a coward in a corner somewhere," Yuki teased.

Kyo grabbed Yuki's wrist and forcefully pried his fingers off of his shirt.

" Mind your own fucking business," Kyo warned as he released Yuki's wrist and continued down the hallway.

" Don't worry about him, Yuki-san. He'll do it when he's ready," advised Hatori whom was standing in the doorway of Tohru's room.

" Why do you think he's acting this way? He's the one who wouldn't sleep until he found her. Now he doesn't even want to look at her,"

" I think finding Miss Honda-san was more than just saving her life. I think he was trying to find peace in knowing that she was okay,"

Yuki pursed his lips together in a tight line as he watched Kyo walk out the front door of the house. For once, Yuki could admit that he understood the trouble Kyo was going through. They all wanted assure that Tohru was unharmed, but it was obvious that she had been through a great amount of pain. That she had gone through a lot of trauma that would change her physically and emotionally. Yuki wasn't prepared to watch such a beautiful person wither before him, and he was aware that Kyo felt the same way. Although, Yuki had come to terms with the fact that Tohru would become a different person. For better or worse he wanted to make sure that Tohru was happy despite her new wisdom of the bitter world that was beyond the walls of this house. While Kyo tried to avoid it all together, and ignore this new person and carry the old with him. Why the hell he would suffer that much to hold on to something that will never be again was beyond him. If anything the easier thing to do would be to separate from the past. Although, for someone as stubborn as Kyo, doing it the easy way wasn't always as simple.

" I see some of us still have some growing up to do," Yuki answered quietly as he turned around and went back into Tohru's room.

" I'm sorry Miss Honda," Yuki apologized for his insensitive cousin.

Yuki sat down on Tohru's bed again, expecting a face to face conversation with her. Since it had been so long. Yuki had been gone several months before Tohru had disappeared and now they were meeting again under unfortunate circumstances.

"Miss Honda?" Yuki called softly afraid that the long pause was because she had passed out again. Although, that was not the case. Tohru's head eerily turned towards Yuki and stared at him her lip quivering and her eye blood shot.

" I've done something terribly wrong, haven't I?" she asked with a shaken voice.

" Why would say that?" Yuki answered , confused on how any of this could be her fault.

" I should have been more careful. I shouldn't have been walking alone that late at night," Tohru began to rant on the night she was kidnapped off the sidewalk in town. Most of the words were not comprehended due to Tohru's mumbling. Although, what Yuki did understand was;

" I deserved this punishment, I should have thought it through,"

Suddenly, Tohru felt a forcefully pull on her chin lifting her off the mattress slightly. It would appear that Yuki was becoming edgy due to Tohru's explanation of her disappearance.

" Don't you dare blame this on yourself," he said in a surprisingly nurturing tone.

"You couldn't have prevented this. It could have happened to anyone," he explained.

" Then why does Kyo hate me?" she asked sounding like a small child that obtained a lack of understanding. " If it's not my fault, then why is he pretending like I don't exist?" she asked.

Yuki looked down at her with an unreadable expression. His hand was removed from her chin, so that his arms could wrap around her. Tohru burrowed her head further into his chest, soaking in every bit of comfort. She had missed this feeling of being held. It was not long before her disappearance that she could even be this close to Yuki, and she felt relieved to be in this place. Despite that, Tohru was longing to be in the arms of someone else right about now. Someone who had held her before, but was too far away to hold her now.

" He's sorting through some feelings right now," Yuki explained.

" He wouldn't have to if it wasn't for me," she answered.

They sat like that for a while, until Tohru passed out yet again within his arms. Yuki laid her down and covered her entire body with the blanket. Tohru would need her rest, because a parade of familiar faces would be by here soon. The now curse free zodiac would be gather all together again. As if another annual banquet were to come forth one more time.


	3. Everything Has Changed

**Message to reader:**

Hey everyone, sorry about the delays. I had major writer's block and didn't have any good ideas for this chapter for like. . . .a month. So, I hope that this is good enough.

**Chapter 2: Everything Has Changed**

_What did you really expect_? Kyo thought as he inhaled the cigarette smoke. He pulled it away from his lips and looked down at it with a look of disgust. He hated the taste of nicotine on his tongue and the smell of the poisonous smoke; but the feeling of those body crippling chemicals clouding his lungs felt warm and burned with tranquility. It almost made his body feel as if it was just air that anyone could just walk through, like he didn't exist at all. Like everything he had ever been through had all disappeared in a blink of an eye. A comforting feeling that gave him the most satisfying relief he could get out of life. It was a familiar feeling that someone very important to him used to give him. Just hearing her voice made the whole planet pause for just a moment, just long enough for him to take in the sweet sound. And now he was looking down at that cigarette, expecting that same comfort in such a repulsive thing. Of course this cigarette could never compare to her, but it was what got him through the day. Without hesitation he placed the cigarette between his lips and inhaled deeply, closing his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

Kyo choked on the smoke that had gotten caught in his throat. The unbelievably painful burn was causing to him go into a coughing fit. Instinctively, he forced it out of his throat and into the air in a broken group of clouds. With watering eyes, he glanced behind him only to see Kazuma staring at him with a sternly raised brow. He watched Kazuma as he grinded the end of the half smoked cigarette into the bottom step of the front porch.

"Nothing," Kyo lied.

A soft smile appeared on Kazuma's face. He disagreed with the consumption of products that damaged the body, but he couldn't find the heart to take those things away from Kyo. Mostly, because he knew it was how he was coping with all of the drastic changes around him. Kazuma preferred Kyo's smoking habits over his past coping methods.

Kyo smiled back at him and then looked ahead, his insincere smile fading into an amused expression. Kazuma sat down next to Kyo and gently patted him on the back. Kyo looked at him out of the corner of his eye and shook his head in disbelief. How anyone could project that much positive energy without ever saying a word was beyond him. Kazuma could smile with every inch of sincerity in his body filling his eyes, even in the worst of times. Reasons such as that made Kyo respect Kazuma, but it he also envied it. If he was capable of being happy, even in hard times, he wouldn't be sitting on the front porch of Kazuma's house smoking an undeserved cigarette trying to forget the day.

"What's wrong?" Kazuma asked.

"You seem different today, like something has happened."

Kyo scoffed and proceeded to shake his head once again. He didn't mean to sound as rude as he did, but lately, things were always happening to Kyo. He couldn't do the right things to save his own life. If someone were to literally come up to him and threaten to take his life if he managed to screw up a task, he would fuck up somewhere down the line. Everything that had lead up to this moment, starting with Tohru's disappearance, had made his will to be alive decrypted. Nothing ever seemed to work out for him anymore.

"They found Tohru," he answered. A swell of desire for another cigarette arose in Kyo's chest as he announced the good news.

"Then why are you here?" Kazuma asked in a surprisingly calm tone.

Kyo shrugged his shoulders and then proceeded to pull the pack of cigarettes from his pocket and urgently struggled to get one out of the package. Suddenly, Kazuma's hand was placed over his. Kyo paused, his hands subtly trembling under Kazuma's as they both forced the package to stay closed. Kyo bit his lip and stared blankly down at Kazuma's hands.

"Not be disrespectful," Kyo began, "But I'm going to need you to remove your hand."

"You know that this isn't the answer," Kazuma informed.

Kyo glanced over at Kazuma, a dark emotion filling his eyes. Kyo sighed; he had no desire to argue with Kazuma, even though he was tempted to. After a moment of unmoved silence, Kazuma placed both of his hands on his lap and Kyo put the pack of cigarettes back in his pocket.

"If that's not the answer, then what is?" Kyo asked.

Kazuma's smile appeared on his face again. Just hearing Kyo ask that question, made Kazuma believe that Kyo had some hope left within him. That he could be happy without smoking a cigarette and could sleep without knocking himself out with a high dose of sleeping pills.

"I don't know, you have to figure that out," he answered.

Kyo glanced over at Kazuma again and chuckled lightly.

"You would say that."

_**Tohru was lying on the floor trying to wrap her arms around herself for warmth**_. She clenched the fabric of her skirt and tried to pull it down over her bare knees, once in a while she would even shudder violently as the air ran by her. Tohru's captor stood over her, watching every one of her pathetic moves and took pride in her misery. Everything was beginning to unfold smoothly. But despite, his plan to deprive her of human contact for the next couple of days, he was becoming eager. He couldn't wait to get his hands on her. Just the thought made his fingers tingle with antisapation.

With that thought in his mind; he was hovering over her in one quick motion as he buried his face in her neck and took in the scent of her hair.

"Please don't," Tohru begged as she felt his cold dry hands graze across her bare thigh.

"Why not?" the young man teased.

"Do you not want me?" he asked. Before saying anything else, he placed his hands on her knees and violently spread her legs apart. With a heavy breathing he forced himself between them, his body subtly quivering as his skin brushed against hers. The man's shaking hands gently rubbing her bare skin and without any warning his fingers tightly wrapped around her thigh, assuring that there would be little movement. Tohru bit her bottom lip as tears began to gather over her eyes. She was fighting to remain silent despite the pain of his grip, knowing that her cries only caused him to be unreasonable. The man leaned down close enough for their chest to breathe against each other. When Tohru didn't answer, a sudden spark of impatience ran through him. The man's fingers tangled themselves into her hair and gripped it tightly. He pulled back so that her body instinctively curved into his as she gasped in pain.

"Answer me," the boy growled his nails digging into her skin. Tohru gasped once again, unsure of what to say. She didn't want to anger him any further. This was the fifth time he had visited her since her kidnapping, but for the first time he seemed more agitated than usual. Perhaps, he had waited so long to do anything to her, that his patience was wearing thin.

"I-" she whispered.

Suddenly, his hand was brought down hard onto the floor next to her head. Tohru flinched when she heard the sound of his fist hitting the wood, making her ears ring.

"Spit it out!" he ordered.

Tohru's lip began to quiver as the tears came rolling down her face. Her body involuntarily began to tremble under his. She looked up at him, only seeing the outline of his body in the darkness, feeling his warm breath against her neck, his accelerating heartbeat across her chest.

"What do you want from me?" Tohru whined.

Somehow, Tohru could feel the devilish grin on his face. In that instant, something about his aura haunted her mentally and tore her down emotionally. He chuckled under his breath and leaned down closer to her.

"Whatever I can take from you?" he whispered as his hands made their way under her shirt and crawled across her skin.

"No," she cried as her hands began to press against his chest, but her effort was useless. He just freed his hands from her shirt and grabbed her wrists, pinning them to the empty floor over her head. He leaned down grabbed a bit of the skin from her neck with his teeth. She shirked in shock and continued to resist, but he was so much stronger than her. Especially, now that he had deprived her of food and water for the past few days. The man took his free hand and slid it up Tohru's skirt and tried to pull down the cotton cloth beneath it. When suddenly, Tohru broken free from his grip and began to lash her arms around in attempts to scratch him.

"No," she cried again.

At first the man was caught off guard, not expecting a determined fight from such a tolerate girl. Of course, when put in a situation such as this, one should expect abnormal behavior. The man put distance between them as Tohru swung her arms blindly. The man's face began to feel warm as his blood boiled beneath his skin. His patience was quickly descending, and when it rock bottom his hand, instinctively, struck her face. All of her struggling came to a halt as she laid on the floor in a daze. Tohru lightly touched her burning cheek and stared up at the figure in bewilderment, not really sure what had just happened.

"You will do what I say," he warned. The man was breathing heavily, his voice sounding more like a growl. Even his fists were clenched close to his side as if he was going to strike her again. But then there was a sound of a sigh. Shortly after, there was nothing but silence. No words, not even the sound of the man's breathing could be heard. Suddenly, he was close to her again, his hands gently feeling the curves of Tohru's body. He nuzzled his face into her neck and took in a deep breath of her scent. The man did these things as if to comfort her, since she was so flustered by his violent behavior.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said apologetically. "But I will if I have to."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Tohru repeated, her tone of voice displaying her confusion.

He chuckled lightly as he kissed Tohru's cheek. "Because I love you and even though you don't love me. You will," he explained. "I'll make sure of it."

Tohru didn't answer. She was so shocked that she could barely move. Her mind were raging with strange thoughts that she tried to put away. Tohru was strangely feeling . . . pity for this man. Her captor, whom had been practically torturing her for the past couple of days, had tamed her hatred for him. Those three words had made her soft to his touch. She was ashamed that she was so easy. Tohru flinched again as she felt the soft touch of his lips against her neck. She closed her eyes, trying to bare the idea of this man being so gentle with her. His hands were tracing her body then tried to make their way up her skirt again. She opened her eyes, her mind beginning to panic.

"Please don't," she whispered. "If you love me, you'll respect me enough to wait," she said, hoping that was a good enough excuse. She wasn't planning on giving him anything of that sort without a fight, but maybe if she promised him that she would have enough time to make an escape or plan.

The man chuckled again. Surprisingly, he listened to Tohru. His hands freed themselves as he pushed himself off the floor onto standing. "I'll wait," he answered. "But don't expect me to wait long," he warned as he walked to the door and left the room. Upon hearing the door shut, Tohru began to cry even more, her breathing was staggered and her body that had been so still began to tremble again. She rolled over on her side and hugged her knees for comfort.

"Is she okay?" a familiar voice asked.

"Yeah," a voice, which sounded like Yuki, answered.

"She cries in her sleep sometimes."

Suddenly, Tohru felt someone's fingers softly wiping the tears from her cheeks. Her eyes opened upon feeling their touch.

"Yuki?" she beckoned softly.

Yuki quickly sat down next to her as if her calling was urgent.

"I'm sorry Miss Honda. Did I wake you?" he asked.

"No," Tohru smiled. In truth, whoever had spoken first caused her to wake up, but it was the feeling of Yuki's touch that had prompted her to open her eyes. But she had to admit that being awakened by a gentle voice was much better then reliving more of her memories as she slept. She found more peace in being awake anyways.

Silently, Tohru reached out the touch Yuki in any way possible. Her other senses hadn't really increased their intensity just yet, so the world around her seemed very distance. Suddenly Yuki clasped his hands around Tohru's, reassuring that he was still by her side.

"Tohru, someone is here to you," he informed her.

Tohru had sat up suddenly; her body, disagreeing with her movement, had sent sparks that felt like bolts of lightning through her. Tohru tightened her grip on Yuki's hand as her eyes tightly closed, trembling as the pain passed through. A few moments passed before Tohru opened her eyes again and stared blankly ahead, a soft smile appeared on her face as she began to dismiss the pain.

"Tohru," the small voice called. "It's Kisa."

Tohru's face went blank with a hint of shock. Her grip on Yuki's hands became weaker and weaker as the seconds passed. Realizing that Tohru was hinting that she wanted to embrace Kisa, Yuki brought his hands back to himself and glanced over a Kisa whom had her hands clenched tightly to her chest with tears filling up her eyes. Tohru, now free, held her arms out for Kisa like a mother seeing her child for the first time.

"Please come closer," Tohru begged.

Kisa's hands slowly came down to her side as she took small unconfident steps towards Tohru. Kisa tangled her fingers within Tohru's, but still stood at a distance. Tohru frowned, as soon as she felt Kisa's slender fingers between hers.

"Why are you so far away?" Tohru asked in disappointment.

"I'm-" Kisa paused," I'm afraid to hurt you, you seem so fragile."

Tohru shook her head and began to pull Kisa closer, surprised that she would even think such a thing.

"You can't hurt me," Tohru assured her.

Kisa tried to hold her composure. She was trying her hardest to resist Tohru's desire to hold her, but it was becoming harder the closer she got. Kisa promised herself before she came in the room that she wouldn't get excited, but it was getting to be too much. Suddenly, Kisa untangled her hand was Tohru's and practically lunged at her with open arms. She embraced Tohru and began to cry against her shoulder.

"I missed you so much," she admitted.

Tohru was taken aback by Kisa's change in emotion. Everything was so sudden that Tohru sat with her arms up, not embracing Kisa. Although, when her mind caught up with what had happened she instantly wrapped her arms around Kisa. It was strange, the girl whom was so small before seemed so much bigger now. She had developed the body of a woman and her hair was long and felt like silk. Tohru began to cry again, how much had she truly missed? Everything was starting to seem so different since she had been freed of confinement.

Yuki, stood from the bed and walked towards the door. With a quick glance at the two girls he smiled sincerely and then left the room.

**R/A:** I have so many ideas just swamping my brain right now. I just don't know when and where to put all this stuff. Don't worry, it will all come together soon enough.


	4. Monsters

**Yay, it's finally up. . . . .Sorry, I have nothing else to say.**

**P.S. Thanks for the reviews and for favoriting this story. **

**O. (Yes this smiley is trying it's hardest to look like it's winking)**

**Chapter 3: Monsters**

Yuki sat on the tallest hill that looked over the summer house and the small dirt road between them. With a deep breath he raised his head towards the sky and let the gentle breeze run through his hair. Everything felt so normal, which had been unusual for the Sohma family for generations. Even though it had been a while since Yuki had carried that awful burden, he still got excited just thinking about how normal the day was going to be.

"Are you alright?" Tohru asked from beside him.

Yuki glanced at Tohru, whom was staring at him with curiosity; her tan summer skin making her soft yellow dress gleam naturally between the light bronze and the sunlight.

He smiled benevolently.

"I'm fine, Miss Honda."

"Then why do you look so sad?"

Yuki shook his head and sighed, knowing that he couldn't shake Tohru off that easily.

"Do you ever feel like life has given you all it has to offer?" he asked, "Like it's going to stop surprising you one day."

Tohru tilted her head slightly in confusion. This was their first reunion since they all split up six months ago and he was already skipping passed the light hearted conversations.

"I hope it never does. I love surprises, they make life so much more enjoyable," she said cheerfully.

"Just depends on if the surprise is good or bad," Kyo voice chimed in from the other side of Yuki.

Yuki glanced over at Kyo whom was lying on his back, his eyes closed as he took in the comfort of the warm air.

"Wait to be optimistic,"

"You know I always am," Kyo answered.

Yuki chuckled lightly under his breath. It was strange how two people who had been natural enemies since birth were now sitting next to each other, engaging in a conversation with maturity.

"Well, even if it's bad. It doesn't matter as long as those you care about are around you. Through the good and the bad, it all works out in the end," Tohru answered.

Yuki looked back at Tohru.

" Yes, I suppose so,"

Yuki awoke from his dream when he felt the warm morning sun seep through the window pane and shine upon his pale features. He sat up quickly, noticing that he had fallen asleep on the couch last night while waiting for Kisa and Tohru to finish stitching up an old relationship. He couldn't remember much after that. Did he even eat anything last night? On that thought, Yuki stood from the couch and walked into the kitchen in search of food. While he stood in the middle of the tile floor he glanced over at the clock and realized it was almost ten. He sighed, forgetting that he had to check on Tohru before it got too late in the day. He checked on her every morning, because Tohru's morning always determined how smoothly the rest of the day would go.

Yuki walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway. He paused at Tohru's closed bedroom door. It was strange that it was closed, because since Tohru had reappeared; Yuki refused to let her be completely alone. Tohru knew of his worries and sacrificed her privacy for his comfort. Without knocking, Yuki opened the door only to see Tohru cradling sleeping Kisa in her arms as she watched over her with tired eyes. Just the look of her features told Yuki of her lack of sleep. The dark circles around her eyes, the way her hair laid perfectly as if it hadn't been touched the fabric of her pillow.

"Tohru?" Yuki asked cautiously.

Tohru faced Yuki and began to breathe heavily as if she had just been woken up suddenly.

"Hmmmm. . . "she answered.

" Have you been awake this whole time?"

Tohru nodded, knowing that lying wasn't the best thing to do to Yuki right now.

"Why would you do that?" He asked sternly as he made his way further into the room.

"I-"

Tohru paused and bowed her head in shame.

"Yes?"

"I'm. . . a-afri. . . . I'm afraid to go to sleep," she admitted.

Yuki stared at her in disbelief.

"Why is that?"

" I- I . . . Don't have very nice dr-. . .dreams. They're scary dreams, that remind me of the past,"

Yuki's heart felt like it was going to burst at the end of Tohru's words. It pained him deeply hearing her say that she couldn't have any peace. . . not even in her sleep. He wished to give her his condolences, but he couldn't find the words to say. He could remember when memories haunted his dreams. Sleep never comes easy when you're reliving your hardships.

Yuki sighed and looked over at Kisa's things that were left in the corner of the room. He was sort of upset with Kisa, he told her that she could only be visit for an hour or two then she would have to leave to give Tohru some rest.

He walked over to Kisa's stuff and began to gather it.

"Wake up, Kisa. It's time for her to go home," he demanded.

"No," Tohru answered as if she was afraid to let go of Kisa. She placed her hand over her mouth realizing that she had practically screamed it at him.

"I told her to stay. . . .I. . . .I couldn't be alone last night. . . I didn't want to spend one more night alone."

Yuki stared into Tohru's glistening blue orbs. She stood perfectly still, but her hands were trembling.

"Why are you afraid?" he asked, curious to see where his questions would take him.

Tohru shook her head and bowed again.

"You're asking for something I can't give you," Tohru mumbled.

Yuki took a deep breath in sheer frustration, not at Tohru, but at himself for not being able to fix anything. _Even if it's bad. It doesn't matter as long as those you care about are around you _,remembering those words made him feel calmer. Just because he felt that at this moment that was all he could do; care and be around when she needed it most.

"Fine, she can stay until she wakes up, but you do have to get some rest."

Tohru nodded and with that Yuki walked out of the room and continued into the kitchen to get something less agitating on his mind.

Yuki paused, placing his hands on the counter for support. _What am I doing?_ , he thought, _she's in there depriving herself of sleep and I'm letting her do it_. Yuki combed his fingers through his silver hair in frustration with himself. He was truly at a loss. How do you make someone fall asleep? How do you stop someone from getting nightmares? The only way he could possibly relieve any of that bottled up emotion is if someone managed to get it out of her. Yuki looked over at the phone that was placed so conveniently in front of him. He picked up the phone and began to dial the number of a person he knew could help.

**R**_emember the day you first met Kazuma. . . . .The day he tore off my bracelet and I turned into my third form. I know it seems like ancient history to you by now, but it feels like five minutes ago to me. It's so vividly imprinted into my brain that I still remember that feeling I had when you looked at me with that look. You looked so horrified, almost to the point of being disgusted. And just so you wouldn't have to look at me anymore, I ran away. I wanted to leave everything behind in that one moment in hopes that you would forget about me. . . .But you ran after me. You begged for me to come home and I tried to hurt you. I tried really hard to make you hate me, but you're so hard to mend that you came back and you held onto me no matter how loud I yelled or how hard I fought. You admitted that you were afraid of me, but you loved me anyway. You told me that you wanted to be my friend, like you would miss me if I was gone. . . . .The only person who would miss me. . . . I think I fell in love with you then. Maybe I had always loved you, but I think that's when it all became clear. Because all I wanted to do after that was love you, I wanted to embrace you, and hold you. . . But I was still a monster; I couldn't have had you if I tried. . . .And now even after the curse has been broken, I still can't have you. But this time there's no curse, there's no stupid fucking rule that says I can't hug you. I don't know what it is, but there's something inside of me; that says I can't have you, that you'll never be mine and I'm just going to have to suck it up. Let me tell you it's becoming really difficult. Even though I'm free to walk around like a normal human being; I feel like I'm locked in that room . . . That room that cages the monster that disgusts you so much . . . But you still want me to come back. You still want to be my friend. And this time. . . .It's not that I don't want to come back. I just don't know how to look at you without having that same ache in my body. That same one that keeps me awake at night. I know you would except it, but I have a feeling that's what got us here in the first place._

Kyo slammed one of his hands against the brick of the house that Tohru and Yuki were staying in, the same one they spent their high school years in. He placed his other hand against his chest and fought the nausea that was filling his body as he forced himself to breathe slowly. His coughing then became a helpless repetition of wheezing.

_God. Not this again_, he thought as he kneeled to the ground. Lately, these attacks were becoming more frequent, and there was no concrete explanation for them. Of course, Kyo never went to a doctor to get any opinions, even though Kazuma insisted on it.

But his ongoing "illness" as Kazuma would call it, wasn't what Kyo was interested in at the moment. What he wanted was to come home so he could claim his room again. He didn't care if Yuki and Tohru were there; he wasn't planning on speaking to either of them. He just wanted to be in his room with all of his belongings since it was getting difficult to stay in Kazuma's guest room without any access to his own things. Kyo realized it would be a pain in the ass living with the two most unstable people on the planet, but he could tough it out just until he got enough money to get a new place. The rent on this one was swallowing up so much of his money that he couldn't possibly go anywhere without getting a second job. He could live here a little longer if neither Yuki nor Tohru uttered a word to him. Despite his confidence in coming back, the sheer sight of that house caused him to panic.

With weak knees, Kyo forced himself to stand. He couldn't let the fear of seeing Tohru keep him from entering the house that he was paying for. That would be ridiculous; with that thought running through his veins he found the courage to continue. Without any hesitation he entered the front door confidently and took off his shoes at the entrance. He peered down the hallway, hearing a distant voice in the kitchen. He took careful steps towards the narrow hallway, in hopes that he was quiet enough. He passed Tohru's room and glanced through the open door. _Kisa?,_ he thought. Kyo was surprised to see her with Tohru, mostly because when Tohru arrived he told Yuki to keep it between the two of them and Hatori, so that she could get proper treatment before being subjected to anyone. When Kyo examined her from a distance, he could tell that she wasn't any better than she was when she appeared in this house just a week ago.

"I know I should have told you sooner, but she hasn't been well and I didn't think it was safe to subject her to people just yet. Yes, Arisa-san, I know I made a mistake," Yuki explained.

_Arisa?,_ Kyo thought, even more frustrated than before. He took a couple more steps down the hallway.

"Okay, Thank you Arisa- san," he finished as he hung up the phone.

Kyo began to panic; hearing the sound of Yuki's footsteps coming closer to the hallway made him want to turn and run the other way. But there was no way he would get to the door fast enough.

Yuki came around the corner and into the hallway. He jumped, startled finding Kyo staring at him with eyes that were screaming ' I didn't do it' at him.

"Why the hell are you here?" he asked.

" I live here," Kyo answered.

" I thought you were moving back in with Kazuma?"

" I can't, not enough room."

Yuki gave Kyo a look of disgust realizing that there was more to Kyo's current actions then he was willing to admit.

"Well, since you're here I guess you can help the rest of us coach Tohru into remembering some things."

"You mean force her to remember her kidnapping," Kyo growled.

" You want her to relive everything that had just happened to her just so you can get your answers,"

"It's not that simple. . . .Not that I would expect someone like you to understand," Yuki answered defensively. He rolled his eyes at Kyo, not wanting to have to explain how crucial this meeting could be to Tohru's health. Yuki continued down the hallway towards Tohru's room.

" Do you really think that she needs to be going through that right now? Maybe she just needs to forget, let her heal before you start dissecting her," Kyo argued.

Yuki paused at Tohru's door and turned back to look at Kyo with eyes filled with rage, but a face that remained calm.

"You said you would make sure she was ready to see people before telling anyone. You practically promised me the day she came back," Kyo complained.

"Yeah, but you promised to stay by her side as long as she wanted you there," Yuki snapped. " And as you can see, some promises don't hold up."

"I don't want you to do this to her," Kyo begged.

" You haven't seen what I have. You haven't been around her long enough to make that call," Yuki said calmly, leaving Kyo at loss for words.

"I will allow you to stay out of this one, but you will not try to talk about Tohru's health when you know nothing about it."

Kyo glared at Yuki and shook his head in defiance.

"I don't need your permission," Kyo said through his teeth as he turned away from Yuki to head to his own room where he could have some peace and quiet.

Yuki continued into Tohru's room, finding Kisa sitting next to Tohru on her bed, looking like a morning flower blooming with the rising sun compared to ill looking Tohru. Kisa had her hand intertwined with Tohru's as she sat and stared blankly at the wall ahead. Kisa stared at Tohru as if she was waiting patiently for something to happen.

"Tohru," Yuki beckoned.

" Yes?" Tohru answered.

" How do you feel about talking to Hatori? You know about the last couple of months."

" I-I. . . " she answered with a tone of uncertainty.

" I promise it's to help you."

Tohru remained silent and kept her glare looking straight ahead.

" I promise it's for the best," he assured her.

Tohru's eyes closed instinctively as she mentally prepared herself for the oncoming pain that would come as the day went by. So far her head was hurting from the lack of sleep, her mouth was dry, and there was a constant chill hanging around her body. Though, she had to pretend like she felt fine, so no one would have to worry too much.

" I know it is," she answered. " I would be delighted to speak with Hatori."

Yuki gave Tohru a soft unseen smile and then glanced over at Kisa whom was still staring pitifully at Tohru. Yuki shuffled his feet slightly and cleared his throat so that his voice would sound stern enough to politely dismiss her.

" Kisa, I think it's time for you to head home," he suggested.

Kisa looked at him and nodded.

"Good bye Tohru-san."

Kisa untangled her fingers from Tohru's hand, got of the bed, grabbed her stuff, and headed to the front door where her shoes were placed just last night. Yuki waited silently, and heard the front door close very quietly. He looked at Tohru again not knowing what to do or say at this moment. He could comfort her, because he was aware of how nervous she was to go back into her memories and relive her misery. As Kyo had said it would be hard on her, but it needed to be done. The only way she would be able to go on living peacefully was if she laid her demons to rest.

Silently, Yuki walked over to Tohru's bed side. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead that caused her to flinch, but when he placed his hand on her back she leaned into him for comfort.

"Everything will be alright," he assured her.

" I know."

**H**atori shifted uncomfortably in his chair that was placed in the center of the living room across from the couch where Tohru was sitting, staring down at the floor as if Hatori was laying there and looking up at her. Shigure, whom had decided to join Hatori on his adventure through Tohru's past experience, sat in a chair purposely placed behind Hatori and was being uncharacteristically quiet. His eyes staring at Tohru with a sort of seriousness that no one had really seen. Why he was there, he never really explained to either Hatori or Yuki.

Tohru's hair fell naturally and acted as a veil against her face as she hid her expression in shame. She clenched the fabric of her clean pants that clung to her skin as a pair of jeans should, but it had been so long since she had worn anything like them that she found herself uncomfortable and restricted.

" I see you're getting better," Hatori spoke in attempt to start the conversation.

Tohru glanced up at him briefly, but then looked back down at the floor.

" I suppose so."

Hatori proceeded to look at Yuki whom stood in the corner of the room. He continued by clearing his throat as if he was warning everyone around him that he was serious and would actually continue without any hesitations.

" What do you remember?" he asked, beginning their session.

Tohru turned her head as if she was trying to ignore Hatori, but knew that she had to answer in order to keep them happy.

" I. . . .I do not. . .remember anything," she answered.

Hatori sat up from his chair, slumping over to place his elbow on his knee and rest his chin on his fist.

"No one can just forget traumatic memories, Miss Honda. They can only resist them." He informed her.

" I. . . am not resisting them. . ."

Hatori took a deep breath and glanced at Yuki again. The boy shrugged and gestured for him to continue, not willing to give up hope after only a few seconds.

" Well, you may not remember, but your subconscious does. . . May I coach you into remembering?"

Tohru grew silent and then nodded.

Hatori glared at her, trying to figure out where he should start; if it was best to reach her physically or mentally.

"Miss Honda, I want you to locate the most obvious scars on your body," he began. "Around your arms, your legs-"

Tohru looked up at him in shock.

"I do not have any scars," she protested

Hatori chuckled under his breath.

" I believe you have forgotten who had examined you, Miss Honda."

Feeling defeated, Tohru bowed her head and slowly pulled her sleeve from her arm; revealing the scars that covered her skin from her wrist to her elbow. She traced two of her fingers over the scars placed closed to her wrist and followed them up her arms slowly. There was nothing, no memory to speak of. That was until she came over a structured pattern of scars that ran over the inner part of her arm. She took a deep breath and tightly closed her eyes trying to fight any thought that may come to mind.

Hatori, noticing her sudden reaction, looked up at Yuki again and nodded slightly.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Honda?" he asked as his eyes looked back at her.

But she currently wasn't listening to him. She was too lost in her own thoughts to even come back to reality.

"_Trying to escape, huh?" the dark figure growled as he grabbed Tohru's wrist and threw her to the floor._

_She cried softly as her body fell to the ground._

_The man picked up his knife from the floor._

"_How did you manage to steal this from my pocket?" he asked, chuckling as he kneeled next her shuddering form._

" _Did you really think you could stab me with my own knife?" he teased as he leaned over her, placing his lips close to her ear._

" _No prize of mine will behave in such a manner," he whispered._

_Swiftly, he grabbed her arm and began to carve into her skin with the knife she had been trying to hurt him with. She screamed, and cried, knowing that no one could save her._

Tohru raised her arm and revealed the words carved into her skin to the men in front of her.

" He cut punishment into my arm for trying to escape," she admitted as tears came rolling down her cheeks.

" I tried to hurt him, but . . . .he threw me down and cut the word punishment in my arm, " she cried.

" Who did?" Hatori asked calmly.

Tohru stared ahead with her lip quivering as she trembled in silence. She shook her head frantically.

" Please tell me, Miss Honda. You can trust me."

Tohru, panicking, covered up her arms with her sleeve and wiped the tears from her cheek. She bit her bottom lip and shook her head again.

" I do not remember. . . . I do not want to remember, I just want the memories to go away," she whined.

Hatori stared at Tohru in disbelief and sat against the back of his chair. Shigure held his hand nonchalantly over his mouth as if he was trying to remain silent. He was perplexed by the whole thing, but didn't show an inch of that confusion in his expression. Yuki walked over to Tohru and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he sat down on the couch.

"It's okay," he assured her.

"She glared at Yuki, not being able to see him but was hoping that her tear filled eyes would show her desire to leave.

" May. . .I please. . . go back to my room? I would like to get some rest."

"Of course you can."

Yuki grabbed Tohru's hand and supported her as she walked towards her room. Within a few minutes Yuki shut the door to Tohru's room and came back out the living area.

"What do we do now?" Yuki asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"We give her time to recover, then we'll start this again. It was too early to start this." Hatori explained.

"But what if gets too late for us to start," Yuki urged. "This guy is still out there."

"How do you know it's just one guy?" Shigure finally asked. "It could be multiple people."

Yuki and Hatori looked back at Shigure in bewilderment.

"I suggest that if you want to catch whoever did this, stop looking to her for answers and look for the puzzle pieces yourself," Shigure suggested. " She's not willing to get revenge on anyone. She just wants to forget."

Kyo listened in on the whole conversation from the other room. At the beginning his feet were firmly placed on the floor, but as time went on he had to lean against the wall for support and fought back his urge to react to Tohru's story. Each she spoke drowned Kyo's heart in pity and crushed his lungs so it was difficult to breathe. He wanted to rescue her from her pain. Every time he heard anything about her kidnapping he prayed that someone would send him a time machine, so he could go back and prevent this horrible event. _What have I done_, he thought as he quietly went back to his room.


End file.
